Wind in the Sails
by SongsofPsyche1945
Summary: Joshamee Gibbs has seen Captain Jack Sparrow at his best, and at his worst. He knows the Captain inside and out, but after a brutal kidnapping, Jack is not the same anymore and Gibbs struggles to find out why. Trigger warning: elements of non-con, panic attacks, self harm and general distress.
1. Chapter 1

888

This was not going well.

Gibbs narrowed his eyes as he stared down at the men in front of him. In one hand he held a large bag of gold, and in the other a ransom note that stated in a messy scribble:

"If you want to see Captain Jack Sparrow alive again, you will meet me on Isla Palmera at dawn with 400 gold coins.

Signed,

Captain D'Claudio"

Now there were on that island, Isla Palmera, somewhere near Honduras. Behind him, Gibbs was flanked by the members of his own crew: Anna Maria and Mr. Cotton. Behind them, pulled out onto the sand so it wouldn't float away was their long boat. Over to the left was the Pearl, docked in the shallows. Gibbs shielded his face from the sun and tried to focus on what was happening in front of him. The men were dressed in traditional pirate garb; the captain wearing a hat with a large feather, his first mate stood to his left wearing a brown coat and a somewhat smaller hat, four members of his crew stood behind him dressed in a mish mosh of dirty rags that Gibbs could smell where he stood.

This particular gang of pirates—The Barstow Crew- had a nasty reputation, so nasty that they were left alone by the East India Trading Company. Gibbs hated the lot of them. Four days ago Captain Jack Sparrow had come up to him, holding a picture of a seemingly ordinary well called the fontana dei desideri. Gibbs had agreed that searching for it would be worthwhile (a well that granted wishes would be the most useful), but had advised against it because it happened to be in the territory of these pirates. Of course, the Captain hadn't listened to him. When Jack Sparrow gets something on his mind, he doesn't let go of it easily.

Gibbs promised himself that he was never going to deal with these guys again, regardless of whom had what treasure map. It wasn't worth it. This was not worth it. Next time they would go back to Singapore, or to Nigeria. Anywhere but here. In fact, this was all the captain's fault to begin with. If he hadn't suggested they go to they go look for the legendary wishing well, none of this would have ever happened. Captain Jack Sparrow wouldn't have gotten kidnapped for ransom by the worst crew of pirates in all the oceans. This time, Jack had gone too far. Way too far. Gibbs kept promising himself that the next time Jack got himself into this kind of trouble, he would honor the code and just leave the wretched man to his fate. Yet here he was, 30 miles out in the middle of nowhere, bargaining with some low life pirate for the life of their captain. Again.

He didn't see the captain anywhere, and that made him suspicious. He had held up his end of the deal-the large sum of gold was stashed safely in the bag he was holding-,but it seemed like this pirate-what was his name again? Captain D'Claudio- had not.

"Where's Captain Jack Sparrow?" Gibbs asked in voice that sounded a lot stronger than he felt.

D'Claudio just smiled and motioned with his hand. Two of his crew members backed away towards the small shack that served as their "headquarters". They opened the door, and pulled something—or someone-out. In the bright morning sunlight, it was hard to see what was going on, but Gibbs heard the definite sounds of a struggle. A good sign, if anything it showed that the captain was still alive and strong enough to still fight.

It had been a very, very confusing couple of days. When Gibbs and the crew had woken up on their ship two days ago, no memory of the night before, completely naked and covered in polenta they had had no idea what happened or where they were, or where their clothes went. It was then he had realized, with deep horror that Captain Jack Sparrow was missing. Then they had found the ransom note and realized what deep trouble they were in. Jack gone over without telling them to negotiate a trade for a map to the wishing well, and apparently the negotiations had not gone well, not well at all. The last thing Gibbs remembered about that night was canisters of white powdered being thrown on the ship, releasing some sort of drug that caused them to lose their memories. Which just added to the confusion of what exactly happened. A lot of the pieces were missing, and Gibbs hoped to get his captain back soon so they could figure it out.

Captain D'Claudio tipped his cane slightly and gave a subtle bow. Then, in a thick argentine accent, he started speaking;

"Good Morning to you all Senior Gibbs and friends. I thank you very much for coming at the time we agreed upon. I have your captain here-" and he gestured with his hands.

Gibbs watched silently as the two pirates brought Captain Jack Sparrow into the view. To Gibbs, Jack looked horrible. His hands were bound with rope in front of him and he was gagged with a thick black cloth. The white shirt and tan pants he had been wearing were torn and smudged with dirt, and was that blood? Gibbs couldn't tell in the blinding light if those were bruises or just dirt on his captain' face. He's been through worse though. He'll be fine. Gibbs thought to himself, before turning back to the Spanish captain.

D'Claudio smiled, "We had a very pleasant time together, but now it is time I returned him to you" he said, then reached for Jack, and he jerked, no twitched away from his grasp. The pirate paid no attention, gripping Jack's arm tightly before he thrust him a few steps forward "Here's your Captain, now please tell me where's my gold?" he said, keeping firm grip on Jack's shoulder.

Gibbs held up the bag, and then tossed it towards him-one of the other pirates caught it.

"Four hundred gold coins" Gibbs confirmed as he watched the pirate check the bag and give a nod.

The pirate nodded, mumbled something in a language that Gibbs did not know and shoved Jack towards them. Captain Jack stumbled, then fell to the ground. Angelica—the right hand woman Gibbs had chosen for this job- lips pursed with worry. Gibbs shook his head slightly

"It's fine. He'll be fine." Gibbs whispered

"I greatly appreciate your integrity, gentlemen, but let me tell you; next time you steal from Captain D'Claudio and the Barstow Pirates, I will not be so nice. I am a powerful man on this island and next time your captain will not be so lucky. Do you understand?" Captain D'Claudio said seriously in his accented English.

Gibbs looked up and nodded. "Yes sir, and I apologize for the trouble we have caused you" he said and he gave a small bow. Luca smiled and tipped his head.

Captain D'Claudio returned the bow, and the taking the bag of gold coins from his first mate, turned around and left them alone.

They waited until the captain and his men disappeared back into their fortress, then Gibbs walked over to Jack, who hadn't moved from the spot where he'd fallen.

"Jack?" Gibbs asked, kneeling down next to his captain and tugging at the rope tying his hands together. Jack mumbled something incoherent under the gag, pulled his hands out of Gibbs grasp, then sat up slowly.

"Aye Captain, it's good to have you back" Gibbs said softly, pulling the black cloth off and putting a hand on Jack's shoulder. Immediately he felt the captain tense, and then he twitched away from his grasp.

"Jack? It's me, Gibbs. Can you hear me? Are you alright?" Gibbs asked again, concerned about how Jack was acting. Then he looked at Jack's mouth, his lips were swollen, his beard was caked with blood. And Jack refused to look him in the eye, staring down at the ground. This wasn't like Jack. Jack never let anything get to him, no matter how terrible or weird or horrible the situation was. Jack always bounced back.

"What in the name of all the seven seas did they do to you?" Gibbs asked, gently reaching to touch Jack's chin. Jack jerked his head back, and his eyes flashed up to glare at Gibbs. _Don't you dare touch me._

Gibbs pulled his hand back, "Sorry. Sorry, Cap." He said

Jack shuddered slightly, he ducking his head down and hunched his shoulders as if he wanted to fold into himself and disappear.

Gibbs took out his pocket knife and quickly cut the ropes before Jack could flinch away again.

"Let's get you back to the ship." Gibbs told him, and then grabbed his arm to help him up. Jack shuddered and twitched again right out of Gibb's grasp.

He paused, still as a statue but then pushed himself up off the ground, swaying dangerously.

"Hold on Cap', let us help you."

Jack shook his head, and took a step away from Gibbs. He pulled his shoulders back, stood up straighter then started walking towards the longboat. Jack gave Anna Maria a nod of acknowledgment but when she reached out to Jack in a simple gesture of camaraderie, Gibbs once again saw the flinch.

"It's good to have you back, Captain." Angelica said softly and Jack froze for a moment, then continued to get into the boat.

Jack gave Mr. Cotton—who was sitting in the boat, feeding his parrot a peanut-a weird look, and then sat down stiffly, wincing and grabbing his side.

"It is weird that he hasn't said a word yet?" Anna Maria whispered quietly in Gibb's ear

"He's Jack Sparrow, he'll be fine. He always is. Just give him some time." Gibbs replied with a smile. But as Angelica turned away, Gibb's smiled faded. Something was different about this time. Something was wrong. He could feel it in the air.

Gibbs sighed, and then started pushing the little rowboat out to see.

"Let's just get back to the Pearl." Gibbs said quietly

And he hoped beyond hope that everything would be okay.

888

Please leave a review telling me what you think!

More should be up soon!

I am on tumblr, under the same name. Follow me for story updates and general amusement.

3


	2. Chapter 2

888

The ride over back to the Pearl was silent. Jack shivered in his shirt—he had somehow lost his jacket—and stared out into the water, still refusing to look any of them in the eye, still not saying a word.

Once they arrived at the Pearl, Gibbs pulled himself up first, using himself as a barricade between the crew and Jack. They had managed to find some clothes—unfortunately for them the only clothes that the Barstow Crew had left were women's dresses-, and the majority of the polenta had been washed away. Jack ignored Gibbs, and the rest of the crew as he climbed up onto the ship and beelined with surprising speed towards the captain's quarters, slamming the door shut behind him. After a few beats door opened again and, Jack's hand shot out holding a rolled up scroll. The hand shook it a couple of times (here are the coordinates, you yellow bellied lizards!), and the nearest crew member—Wayet— jumped up grabbed it.

"Thank you, sir!" He shouted, saluting.

And the door slammed shut again (Now everyone leave me alone).

And Gibbs did. He put Anna Maria in charge and left her happily at the helm, shouting orders to the crew. He watched the crew hobble around in the dresses and laughed at the complaining. He went down to the storage rooms and counted the bottles of rum. Twice.

Until finally it was sunset. Usually at sunset he and the captain would meet. They would sit at Jack's messy desk and debrief the day—how much rum was left, which crew members threatened to throw themselves overboard, if the chicken from the night before still good etc. Usually over tea that Gibbs would bring up from the kitchen. It was a quiet time, one that Gibbs enjoyed very much. Jack was always more centered at sunset, the demons that plagued him settling for once, allowing him to be at peace, at least for a little bit.

Hoping that Jack was rested enough to tell him what happened, Gibbs grabbed their usual tea set (the blue one, Jack couldn't stand the pink one), filled it with tea and the left over biscuits from dinner (which Jack did not come to) and headed up towards the captain's quarters. Gibbs hoped that the comfort of the sunset, and their usual teatime routine would calm him some, make him less brittle than he was before on the beach.

Gibbs knocked on the door twice, expecting the usual "Come in!", but that night there was nothing but silence. Gibbs readjusted the tea platter, and then tried the doorknob. It was unlocked.

"Jack? It's Gibbs. I thought I would bring you some tea." Gibbs announced, setting into the shadowy room. It took a minute for him to find Jack, who was sitting by the long window at the back of the room, back leaning against the wall and staring out over the ocean. He had changed out of his dirty clothes into clean ones, leaving the dirty ones in a pile on the floor.

Jack made no notion that he had heard Gibbs come in. Gibbs walked over to the desk, and put the tray down, the teacups rattled slightly and Jack started, looking over at Gibbs.

"'Ello Cap." Gibbs said softly, not wanting to scare him further.

"I brought some tea, in the blue set." Gibbs continued.

Jack stayed perfectly still, reminding Gibbs of a spooked cat stuck in a corner.

"These past few days have been interesting. We are very glad to have you back with us." Gibbs said

"The crew is sure a sight to see right now, all in ladies dresses." He added with a chuckle.

Jack remained frozen.

Then Gibbs noticed the bloodied rag in Jack's hand.

"Are you hurt?" He asked

Jack shook his head, but then winced putting the rag up to his mouth.

"Aye if you weren't hurt, you wouldn't be wincing like that. May I see?" Gibbs asked

Jack shrugged his shoulders, and winced again. Gibbs took a step forward, raising a hand. Jack flinched away from him, pushing himself further against the wall.

Gibbs slowly lowered his hand.

"Let me see, please Jack?" Gibbs asked gently.

Jack froze, his hands curling into fists. He seemed to be holding his breath. Gibbs waited patiently though, wanting to see what was ailing Jack, but also not wanting to scare him further.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Gibbs added.

Jack nodded, and then slowly opened his mouth.

Making sure his hands were by his side, but still in Jack's view, Gibbs leaned in closer to get a look at jack's mouth. And it took everything that he had not to gasp in horror; Jack's tongue was gone...no...not gone, but mauled. Cut just enough to render him mute. All of a sudden, Jack's silence made sense. He was unable to speak, because those bastards had cut his tongue.

Gibbs closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. When he was sure he could control his emotions, he opened his eyes and looked up at Jack.

"A little molly herb can clean that right up, it'll help with the pain, too." He said gently.

Jack averted his eyes, but nodded.

"Did they hurt you anywhere else?" Gibbs asked

Jack shrugged, and winced again.

"Ribs?" Gibbs asked, seeing the signs.

Jack nodded.

"There's not much you can do with those until they heal by themselves. Staying off your feet for a few days will help."

Jack nodded again.

"Anything else?"

Jack shook his head.

"Alright. I'm going to get those herbs for you." Gibbs said, and then he stood up straighter. Jack turned away from him, looking out over the darkening sky.

Gibbs turned the lanterns on quietly, and then left the room to go find bag that they kept all their medical herbs and remedies in.

The molly herb had been given to Gibbs by a witch that he had met in Tortuga. He thought it must have some magical properties to it, because it healed skin almost instantly. If one mashed it up and put it on a bleeding cut, for instance, the cut would heal almost completely in an hour, leaving on the trace of a scar. It was a very useful herb to have, especially out at sea where a doctor was days away.

Gibbs had used it before, once when he had been in a brawl fight and bit the inside of his cheek so badly he felt a chunk of it come off. He had simply sucked on the molly herb, and it had worked it's magic. He hoped that it would work for Jack too. The only thing was that it had tasted terrible, but Jack wouldn't have to worry about that anymore.

Gibbs mixed the herb into a thick black paste, then walked back over to the Captain's quarters.

Jack was sitting exactly where he had been before, still staring out into the darkening horizon. Gibbs lit a few candles, and then brought the bowl over to Jack.

"Here, put a spoonful of this in your mouth and swish around for a bit." Gibbs instructed. Jack gave him an incredulous look. What the hell is that supposed to be?

"It works, I promise." Gibbs said, giving Jack a small smile.

Jack nodded, and then took the bowl from Gibbs. As he did, his sleeve rolled up, revealing angry rope burns and several red cuts.

Once again, Gibbs fought to control his anger. When you kidnap someone for ransom, you weren't supposed to hurt them. It was part of the pirates code.

"A little on those burns and cuts too, should help." Gibbs said nodding his head towards jack's arms.

Jack did as instructed, making careful calculated movements as not to upset the broken ribs. Once he was done, and after he had spat back out the molly herb he seemed a bit calmer, more relaxed than before now that the pain was gone.

"Better? Gibbs asked

Jack nodded.

"That's good. Now, let's get you to bed. A good night sleep will help."

Jack froze again, but then after several moments he nodded his head and slowly stood up. Gibbs waited patiently for him to walk over to him, noticing the slight limp.

"Are you sure you aren't hurt anywhere else?" He asked

Jack shook his head and sent him a glare. Yes I am sure. Stop asking me.

"Okay, okay. Just wanted to make sure, that's all."

Gibbs watched from a distance as Jack laid down on his bed.

"I'll be nearby, if you need anything. Just yell-er-knock. I'll know." Gibbs said quiet.

Jack nodded his head again, and then blew out candle, casting the room into darkness.

888

Reviews are much appreciated! Next chapter will be up soon!

I am on tumblr, under the same name. Follow for updates and general amusement :)


	3. Chapter 3

Gibbs watched as the moon slowly rose in the sky. He took a sip of tea, and prepared for a long night. Jack's behavior was worrisome, the image of Jack flinching away from his touch kept playing in mind's eye over and over again. It wasn't right. They had done something else to him, something to make him scared of being touched. There was a woman he knew in Tortuga, one who had been assaulted against her will, and she had the same look in her eye that Jack had now. Gibbs didn't want to believe it, but it wasn't unheard of on the seas. Mostly through cautionary tales and stories.

It wasn't supposed to happen. According to the code, hostages taken for ransom were supposed to remain unharmed and unfouled. Those who violated the code were punished with death. Did the Barstrow Crew knew who Jack's father was? Surely if they did, they wouldn't have committed such vile acts.

Gibbs shook his head. He wouldn't know anything until the morning. Maybe after a peaceful night's sleep, Jack would be less brittle. Maybe then he would be ready to talk…or write….about what happened to him.

Morning came quicker than expected. Soon, the small cabin was filled with the first light of day. Gibbs stood up and stretched, sore from sleeping in a chair all night. Deciding to let Jack sleep in—he desperately needed the rest—Gibbs decided to, like yesterday, stall for time. He grabbed the cold tea tray, and brought it down to the kitchen. There he ate a scone, got the report from the night watch, counted the bags of flour they had left, and then left to go up to the helm. Anna Maria was at the wheel, yawning, one hand steering and the other holding a mug full of coffee.

"How is he?" she asked

Gibbs hesitated, should he tell her? But then decided that she ought to know, being the first mate and all.

"Aye, alive." Gibbs answered

Anna Maria's brow furrowed, "What does that mean?"

"they cut his tongue." Gibbs said quickly in a hushed whisper.

Anna Maria's mouth made a perfect O.

" Damn bastards." She hissed under her breath.

"Not anyone knows yet, so keep it to yourself." Gibbs added

She nodded.

"Will he be okay?"

Gibbs shrugged his shoulders

"I don't know. He wouldn't let me touch him, or go near him. I've never seen him like this before."

Anna Maria frowned, "That's not like Jack."

"I know."

She sighed, "Let him take the lead. When he's ready to open up to us he will. I'm happy staying here. Maybe you should talk to Mr. Cotton. He might be able to help."

Gibbs nodded , "Aye. Okay."

The talk with Cotton was brief and one sided-with the occasional "wind in the sails" from his parrot. When Gibbs told him what happened to the captain, Cotton put his hand on his arm sympathetically and then offered one of the wooden straws he used to eat with. Unlike Mr. Cotton, Jack's tongue was not completely gone, just cut enough to prevent him from speaking.

Gibbs stalled for a few more hours—mopping the deck, repairing a broken sail, starting a pot of soup—before he headed back towards the cabin. Surely, he thought, Jack would be awake by now.

He entered the room quietly, and peered across at the bed. Jack wasn't there, he had taken up his usual spot by the window, and was looking out it with a vacant expression.

"Morning, Jack." Gibbs said softly, and Jack jumped at his voice.

"Sorry, sorry Jack. I didn't mean to startle you." Gibbs said in the same, soft voice.

Jack nodded his head, but refused to look at Gibbs, his eyes trailed something outside the window.

Gibbs adjusted the tray he had brought with him, containing a bowl of hastily put together soup and some tea.

"I brought you something to eat." He said, taking a step forward. When Jack didn't flinch, he took another step, and then slowly walked over to where Jack was sitting. He put the tray down on the small table next to Jack.

Jack continued to stare out the window for a few more seconds, then he turned to look at Gibbs. Their eyes met for a split second before Jack quickly looked away.

Gibbs pulled over a second chair, and then pointed to the tea.

"I brought you more molly herb."

Jack nodded.

"You should eat something." Gibbs prompted

Gibbs watched Jack as he glared at the soup he had put in front of him. Jack always hated soup, and Gibbs knew it but it the only thing Jack could eat at the moment, and he needed to eat something.

Jack looked at the soup, and then up at Gibbs. _You call this soup?_

"It's the best we could do at the moment. You have to eat something, Jack."

Jack then picked up the wooden straw that was next to the bowl instead of a spoon.

"Mr. Cotton uses them, says it helps." Gibbs added

Jack stared at the straw, and then at the bowl of soup. His hands started to shake. Suddenly he stood up, and bolted out of the room, out the door into the main deck.

Gibbs followed him as quick as he could, knowing that Jack would meet the crew on the deck. He heard several shouts of "Hey cap!" And "it's good to see you!" And "where you goin'?" Before he too stood on deck.

Jack was nowhere to be seen.

"He cannot leave the ship." Gibbs said breathlessly to Anna Maria, who nodded her head and pointed towards the front of the ship.

Gibbs raced down the stairs, looking left and right. Going over in his head the maneuvers for a man overboard. But as he looked wildly around, he saw nothing. Then a slight red caught his eye and he looked up to see Jack climbing up the rafters, heading for the crow's nest.

"Oh thank goodness." Gibbs thought. He met Anna Maria's eye and pointed up, she followed his finger and nodded her head.

Gibbs decided to give Jack a few minutes by himself, and then he would climb up there and talk to him. Gibbs walked over to the railing and peered down at the water. He watched as flying fish lept out of the way and wondered what on earth they were going to do to fix this. His first thought was Jack's father, but that was treading a fine line. Jack was a proud man, he wouldn't want to run to his father. He thought of Will and Elizabeth at Port Royal, they maybe could help but again, Jack would have to agree.

Finally, after ten minutes had passed Gibbs grabbed the ropes and hauled himself up to the crow's nest. Jack was sitting in the small space, arms hugging his knees and staring out into nothing.

"I'd thought I would find you up."Gibbs said

Jack jumped, and then winced.

"Sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to scare you." He added, softly.

Jack remained still, and silent.

"What happened down there, with this-." Gibbs held out the wooden straw in his hand, "we didn't mean to offend, we're just trying to help you, Jack."

Jack shook his head, and for once Gibbs had no idea what he was trying to say. He seemed so lost. Gibbs knew one thing though, and that was this wasn't going anywhere. Jack needed to trust him.

"It may have been a bit inconsiderate of us, shovin' this on you like that, without any explanation. Mr. Cotton eats with a straw because it's easy for him and we just thought since he and you...share the same...abnormality..." Gibbs trailed off again, stopping when he saw Jack's glare ( _Cotton and I do not share the same "abnormality", we are completely different! I am nothing like him)._

Gibbs nodded his head, "You're right, of course. You and Mr. Cotton are very different. You're hair, for instance is much better than his."

Jack looked at him.

"Don't think just 'cause you can't speak, I don't understand you, Jack." Gibbs said with a smile.

And for the first time since he returned, Jack relaxed just a little bit.

"You are safe here. No one is going to hurt you." Gibbs added.

Jack nodded.

"I was thinkin', Port Royal is not far from here. A few days at the most. Why don't we pay Mr. Turner and Ms. Swan a visit, stock up on supplies and then started looking for this wishing well." Gibbs asked.

Jack paused for a moment, thinking things over, but then he nodded his head.

"Aye, good. I'll let the crew know we're headed that way. It'll be nice to be on land for a few days."

Gibbs watched Jack, he seemed to be more comfortable up here than he did down in the cabin.

"Alright, well. I am going to go to try to make that soup…..soupier. You can stay up here a long as you like. When you're ready, come find me and we'll try it again." He said

Jack nodded his head, and Gibbs thought he saw a ghost of a smile when he had said "soupier".

Then Gibbs headed down the ladder, thinking about how to improve the texture of the "soup" he made and wondering in general if Jack was ever going to be okay.

888

So sorry that took forever, hell of a week. More up soon! Please like, favorite and review!


	4. Chapter 4

AN: This takes place in between the first and second movie, when Jack is captain of the Black Pearl before the hurricane.

888

Gibbs was sitting in the captain's study, staring absentmindedly at the steaming bowl of "soup" when Jack timidly knocked on the door.

Gibbs smiled, "Hello there, Jack. Just in time, I was able to find more spices." He said, pointing to the soup (then he realized with a kind of guilty horror that Jack would be unable to taste anything).

Jack nodded, and teetered over, one hand clutching his left side. He sat down across from Gibbs at the edge of the chair.

Gibbs nudged the soup over to him (along with both a spoon, and the wooden straw). Jack grabbed the spoon (after making a wavy motion with his fingers at the straw), and took a sip of the soup, and then another.

"You must be hungry." Gibbs said

Jack froze, and the hand holding the spoon shook. He nodded his head. Gibbs wondered if they had given him any food at all in the three days they he had been hostage (another violation of the code).

"I know it's hard to think about now, but I need to know, what else did they do to you? You know as well as I do that it's against the code to hurt a hostage." Gibbs said gently.

Jack froze again, eyes cast down.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions, and you can nod or shake your head."

Jack remained frozen, and suddenly Gibbs felt like he was an intruder, going somewhere that Jack definitely did not want him to go.

"Did they give you any food at all?"

Jack shook his head.

"Water?"

Another shake.

"Were you bound?"

Jack nodded.

"Did they use torture?"

Jack paused again, his eyes staring at some point that only he could see. He nodded his head.

Gibbs was taken aback, torture on a hostage?

"Bastards." Gibbs swore

Jack visibly flinched.

"Sorry, sorry Jack."

"Is there anything that I am missing? Did they do anything else to you?" Gibbs asked, feeling like he was missing something but he couldn't put a finger on it.

Again, Jack froze. His hand went to his left hip, his gaze far away. After a few moments he shook his head, and crossed his arms over his chest.

Just then, the cabin door banged open and Anna Maria came stomping in, face full of fury.

"I've had it up to here with that blasted monkey! It keeps pooping on the deck, and it's getting everywhere and this morning it ate an entire crate of bananas. That's a week's worth of food. OUR FOOD! Food that we need for us! Something has got to be done-."

She stopped midsentence. Her stomping and yelling had caused Jack to jump so hard he fell out of his chair onto the cabin floor where he scuttled backwards until his back hit the wall. He curled in on himself, pulling his knees up his chest and clutching his hair, entire body shaking.

"Oh no." she whispered, looking up at Gibbs "I'm sorry, I didn't know you both were in here."

Gibbs nodded his head, "Next time knock."

She looked from Jack, to Gibbs and then to Jack again.

"Is he alright?" She asked

Gibbs nodded again, and then stood up. He walked up to the front of the cabin and motioned for Anna Maria to follow. The fact that Jack had flinched and fled, instead of standing and fighting (which was what Jack would normally do) was enough to cause real concern.

"I will handle the monkey. Lock it in the brigg if you have to." Gibbs said in a quiet voice.

She nodded.

"Everything will be fine. Set coordinates for Port Royal. That's as good as place as ever to restock on supplies."

She nodded again.

"Im so sorry, I forgot-."

"It's okay. Jack will be fine. Everything will be fine." Gibbs said again, in the same soft voice.

She straightened a little.

"Lock it in the brigg, you say?" She asked.

" It won't stay there forever, but it'll give us time to make a cage...or something."

She nodded, "Aye, aye."

She gave him a small salute, and then left, closing the door softly behind her.

"Jack?" Gibbs asked softly

Jack remained exactly where he was, hands still in his hair, eyes closed.

Gibbs kneeled down next to him, well aware of the space between them.

"It's alright, Jack. No one is going to hurt you now. You are going to be fine."

Jack shook his head. His eyes opened, but they were blank, seeing things only he could see. He shook his head again, and flinched backwards knocking his head against the wall.

"it's me, Jack. It's Gibbs. You are here on the Pearl."

Gibbs reached out and put a gentle hand on Jack's knee. Jack immediately winced, and flinched away from him, further into the shadows, further up against the wall. Gibbs pulled his hand away.

They remained like that, sitting on the floor for a few long minutes. Until finally, finally Jack stilled. He blinked a few times, and shook his head.

"Are you with me, Jack?" Gibbs asked

Jack nodded his head.

"She didn't know we were in here. That blasted monkey had her all worked up. I think it's about time we made it walk the plank, eh?" Gibbs asked

Jack shrugged, and Gibbs frowned. Usually a remark like that would spark a rant about that blasted monkey, how it was the vain of his existence and so on, but all he did now was shrug.

Gibbs re-positioned himself so he was sitting cross legged on the floor.

"You know, I once knew a man who had a cat companion. He said the cat was his mistress, enchanted by a witch to live forever as a cat. She would sit on his shoulder and meow, like a parrot. Now that would be a sight to see, wouldn't it?" He asked

Jack smiled a small smile, then nodded his head. He seemed slightly better now, more present than before. Gibbs wasn't fully relieved yet though. He felt like he was in over his head. Jack needed help, help that Gibbs was necessarily equipped to give. Jack needed a refuge, a solid place on land. And the only place that Gibbs could of was Port Royal.

And so there they would go.

888

Sorry this is a short one, but more will come soon. Please like/follow/review!

Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

888

Gibbs walked up to the Swan Mansion door to knock. It was almost 4 o'clock in the evening, and Gibbs hoped that they were home. They hadn't been able to send word of their arrival, or that they were even here because Jack was still a wanted man, and Commodore Norrington was still looking for him. They had managed though, to hide to ship, get the crew ashore (it helped that they were all still in lady's dresses), and haul up at an inn at the edge of town under a false name. Gibbs hadn't been able to think of a clever way to sneak them into the Swann mansion though—none that Jack would be able to do at the moment—so, he figured they would just waltz up to the front door and knock.

The past three days had been...difficult. Between sneaking into Port Royal without the Commodore finding out, giving out, various assignments (get clothes, no more polenta, stock up on the rum) to the crew, and handling Jack's deteriorating state of mind, Gibbs was exhausted and ready for a decent rest.

Jack had been quiet. Too quiet. He spent the last days at sea huddled in his room, and staring out into the horizon, eyes seeing horror only he could see. Gibbs knew by now that the Barstow Crew had hurt him more than just cutting his tongue. Every loud noise made him jump, upsetting his broken ribs and making him wince, every unexpected movement made him flinch away, and he still refused to let anyone touch him.

Gibbs had found that giving Jack a heads up when something loud was about to happen would help him stay calm.

"Jack?" he asked, turning to his left. Jack wasn't there. Gibbs looked behind him, and saw Jack standing at the base of the stairs, arms crossed over his chest and staring at the ground. Gibbs descended slowly, making sure he was in Jack's line of vision.

"You're safe here, Jack. It's just Will and Elizabeth. No one is going to hurt you." He said, remembering that the last time Jack had been on land, he had been with the Barstow Pirates. The last time he had been here, at Port Royal he was about to be hanged. Suddenly the hope that this was actually helping Jack faded. Was being here making it worse for him? Would he rather be out at sea? Gibbs shook these thoughts out of his head. They were here now, they had to follow through.

"Come on, it will be nice to be in a real house for a few days." Gibbs said, and then he took a step upward. This time, Jack followed him up.

"Okay. I'm going to knock now." Gibbs said, raising his hand up to the door so Jack could see.

Jack nodded his head, still staring at the ground.

Even though Gibbs had given him a heads up, he still saw Jack flinch as he knocked on the door.

After a few beats of the silence, the door opened revealing a stern looking doorman.

"Yes?" he asked

"Please inform Miss Swan and her fiancé that Mr. Smith and his associate have arrived." Gibbs said, giving a little bow.

The doorman nodded, "Ms. Swan and her father have been out of town for several days now. They are expected back on Tuesday. Mr. Turner is here though, would you like to see him?" He asked

"Yes, please." Gibbs said, nodding.

The doorman gave a little bow, and then beckoned them both inside. He escorted them to a handsome waiting room and then left. Jack walked over to one of the plush chairs by the desk and sat down. His fingers trailed over the objects on the desk; a globe, a small filigree box, and an hour-glass. He picked up the box to get a closer look at it.

Gibbs remained standing. He wanted to talk to Will before he saw Jack, to give him a heads up about what happened, because surely Will was going to be excited that they were here, and he would want to shake his hand, and then ask him questions that he couldn't answer. That couldn't happen. Finally, he decided that it was best that if he found Will first, before he entered.

"Jack?" he asked, Jack jumped at his voice, nearly dropping the box.

"I am going outside for just a minute. Stay here."

Jack nodded his head. Gibbs then left, closing the door behind him. He ran into Will hallway.

Will smiled when he saw him, "Mr. Gibbs! It's good to see you. Elizabeth sends her wishes too, she is out of town with her father."

"That's good actually, because I need to talk to you, alone." Gibbs said

Will nodded his head, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Alright."

"Something has happened. Something bad. To Jack." Gibbs started

"We were near Roaton, Jack went to bargain a map from the Barstow Pirates. Negotiations didn't go well." Gibbs paused for a moment, trying to find the right words.

"They hurt Jack. Badly. They- they—cut his tongue, roughed him up a bit. He can't speak." Gibbs said.

Will frowned "That's awful."

"Aye. That's why we came here. Jack is…not doing well. It's not just that he can't speak….it's… he won't let me—or anyone—touch him, or get near to him. He flinches at loud noises and more often than not gets lost. He needs a place to rest, a quiet place."

"Gets lost?" Will asked, his face full of concern.

"Aye. He gets caught up in his head, seeing things only he can see. His hands shake, his breath comes in gasps. It's getting harder and harder for me to bring him back."

Will nodded again, but didn't say anything. He frowned.

"That doesn't sound like the Jack I know, or remember. He is welcome to stay here as long as he likes. I can call for a doctor…..or a healer. Is he here now?" he asked

Gibbs nodded, "Yes, in there. I wanted to talk to you before, so you knew what happened."

Will nodded again.

"Can I see him?"

"Of course."

Gibbs motioned towards the door that led to the room where Jack was waiting. Will walked towards it and opened the door.

Jack was right where Gibbs had left him, now examining the globe, twirling it gently with his fingers. He startled slightly when the door opened, and whirled around to see them. Gibbs did not miss the flash of panic, before it was masked by a smile. Jack stood up and walked over, giving them a small wave.

"It's good to see you, Jack." Will said

Jack nodded his head, eyes flitting around landing everywhere but on Will and Gibbs.

He then made a small motion with his hand, _I'm assuming Gibbs told you everything?_

"You and your crew are welcome to stay here as long as you like." Will said gently

Jack seemed to pay no attention. He walked right up to Will pulled out the map that held the coordinates to get to the wishing well and handed it to him. Gibbs was taken aback, Jack was acting well…like Jack. For the past three days Jack had absolutely refused to let anyone get that close to him, and here he was, standing intimately close to Will. He was more at ease with Will now, than he had been with any of them on the Pearl. Maybe it was seeing a familiar face? Will cast Gibbs a concerned glance, but allowed Jack to take the lead.

Will took the map curiously and unfolded. "This is a map?"

Jack nodded, _of course it's a map! What are you, blind?_

Jack then pointed to the center, where the wishing well was located.

"Fontana che desiderano...the wishing well?" Will asked

Jack nodded his head.

"You want to go here?" Will confirmed, looking at Jack. He adjusted the map slightly to see it in better light, Jack reached for Will and tapped his chest, then the picture of the well on the map with his finger.

"To a wishing well?"

Jack nodded his head, and then repeated the motion, tapping Will's chest with his hand.

"And you want me to come with you?" Will asked

Jack nodded, _Yes. We will go to the well, get my voice back and everything will be good and dandy. Savvy?_

Will looked at Gibbs and raised his eyebrows.

"I think I can manage that. We'll have to wait for Elizabeth to get back though." Will said

Jack nodded his head, then turned around and walked back over to the desk where he resumed playing with the globe.

Will looked at Gibbs, and raised an eyebrow.

"Forgive me, where are my manners? Shall I call for some drinks? Or tea?" Will said

Gibbs nodded, "Aye, that would be nice."

"Right."

Will stood up and rang a bell. A few minutes later a servant appeared in the door.

"May we have a tray of tea, please. And something to eat, soup?" Will asked

The servant nodded her head silently, and then walked away down the hallway towards the kitchen.

"You getting use to the lives of the rich?" Gibbs asked with a smile.

Will blushed a deep red.

"I guess."

They both watched as Jack walked from the table, to the window, examining an extravagant pillow that rested on the window seat.

"Is he limping?" Will whispered quietly

Gibbs nodded, "Aye. He won't let me examine him though, he won't let anybody touch him."

"Oh, and-." Will started, but was cut off by the servants returning, this time bringing with them a trolley, rolling it noisily across the floor. Jack jumped at the noise, and once again put his hand on his ribs, wincing. He kneeled down onto the floor, face white with pain.

"Jack!" Will rushed over to him before Gibbs to stop him, Jack flinched away from him and leapt to his feet. He shook his head at Will, and took another step backwards. Then, with surprising speed he took off, sprinting through the living room and out the door.

Will followed before Gibbs could stop him, leaving him alone in the room.

Then Gibbs heard a scream roll down from the hallway, "Jack, no!"

888

It's so hard to write more than three characters in a scene, usually one of them just ends up standing there like a dummy...so Elizabeth will come later. And maybe Norrington. Kinda wish Barbossa was alive at this point, he's so fun to write. Anyway...thanks for reading! Please review!

888


	6. APRIL FOOL'S :-)

My dearest, Readers

I hate Mufasa he always gets what he wants someday, he will get what he deserves. Oh how I wish he would turn into a festering bucket of moldy pie. Hmmmmm pie, I like pie, all kinds; apple, cherry, blackberry, 3.14...pie is good. Not moldy pie. That's bad. Really bad. The worst, really. I mean, who would even want to eat moldy pie anyway? The only person who I know who would enjoy moldy pie would be Draco Malfoy. Mostly because he deserves it, but who knows? He might like it. He lives in Slytherin, and it's all dark and damp down there. Everything gets moldy super fast at Hogwarts. Mufasa would definitely be in Slytherin, the slimy bastard.

There is a rock in my shoe, and bird on my head. One day they had a disagreement and I ended up with a boulder on my belly. I have a pierced belly button. It's my dirty secret. No one knows about it. Well, I guess you guys know about it. I have a story to tell you. Once upon a time there was a kitten in a very small cage. The kitten grew, the cage didn't.

The end.

Wasn't that wonderful? No, no, no, no it was terrible. I am awful at telling good stories. I know who tells good stories though, and that person is Martha Stewart. She went to prison, you know? I bet she knows how to make a really good prison cheesecake. She could even make it all fancy with prison flowers, and prison icing. Going to prison would be so scary, I would be afraid of the sleepwalkers. Or if I sleepwalked, they would all be afraid of me. One night I slept walked right out of bed into the garage and screamed because I thought buzz lightyear was outside trying to murder us all. Evil Buzz Lightyear would be incredibly terrifying and also quite hilarious.

You know who else would be an amazing super villian? A secret weapon, an immigrant who's not afraid to step in? Who's constantly confusing and confounding the British henchmen? Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. Also known as LAFAYETTE! The Lancelot of the Revolution! He's America's favorite fighting Frenchman! LAFAYETTE! LAFAYETTE! Okay I got a little distracted, I'm listening to Hamilton right now. I love Hamilton. It's weird that it's a rap musical about one of America's founding fathers, but I think that's also what makes it awesome. I will never look at the ten dollar bill (the ten dollar, founding father without a father, got a lot smarter by working a lot harder) the same way again (and things will never be the same...okay okay I'm stopping now). I wrote that all from memory, BTW. I'm not obsessed with Hamilton. No I am not!

I'M NOT THROWING AWAY MY SHOT!

Okay, maybe I am a little bit.

Children gain valuable information by learning schemes such as banging, shaking, and mouthing objects. Schemes help children discover how objects are best used and how to use objects in new and interesting ways. Young infants use a variety of simple schemes such as mouthing, banging, handling, grasping and reaching to discover the properties of objects. IE: hard things such as blocks, soft things such as cotton balls, noisy things such as rattles and sticky things such as a piece of tape. Infants practice adapting and combining schemes until they perfect an approach that works for them. I copied and pasted that from my textbook. Maybe one day someone will google learning schemes and this letter will pop up and then they will be forced to read my fanfiction. MUAHAHAHAHA my evil plan is almost complete!

I'm rockin', rockin' and rollin', down to the beach I'm strolling, the seagulls poke at my head NOT FUN. I said seagulls, mmmmm stop it now! That is my elevator song. I sing it in the elevator with strangers to make them feel uncomfortable. I also dance. It's very entertaining.

Did any of that make sense? I bet not. It doesn't even make sense to me, and where is the real chapter anyway? You probally think that I am insane, and you are not wrong. But trust me, this all had a point and that point was to trick you into believing that this was the actual next chapter and also that I hate Mufasa. So my actual point is that I just wanted to wish you all a very happy APRIL FOOL'S!

Much love,

SongsofPsyche

P.s who's the best, c'est moi.

Sorry...sorry I'll stop now.

(Nevvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrr)


	7. Chapter 7

888

Hope you all enjoyed my little April Fool's chapter. It's something I have fun with every year. If you read back through my other stories, you will find April Fools chapters.

OK, now that that's done and over with, let's get back to Jack!

888

What Gibbs saw next as he rounded the hallway after Will and Jack would forever be imprinted into his mind: Jack brandishing his sword at Will, eyes blank with panic, Will's helpless glance at Gibbs as he ducked a sharp swipe from Jack, and most surprising of all, the face of Commodore James Norrington as he shouted at the top of his lungs for them to seize Jack.

Gibbs felt himself freeze. He hadn't even thought about the Commodore until this very second. What was he doing in the mayor's mansion anyway? Shouldn't he be off at sea, battling pirates and what not?

"Stop! Everyone stop!" Gibbs shouted, knowing by now that the chaos of everyone running and shouting would scare Jack even more than he already was.

He was promptly ignored. Sighing, Gibbs jumped into it and pulled on the Commodore's collar, yanking him out of the fray.

"What in the bloody blazes is going on here?" Gibbs snarled, wincing as he heard swords clang in the background.

The Commodore's face twisted in anger, "I was doing my nightly patrol of the hallways, and I ran into this miscreante. He nearly ran me over, and then Mr. Turner came-."

"This needs to stop. Right now, Jack-." Gibbs started but he was cut off by a yell from Will. They both looked to see Will's arm bleeding, and Jack sprint further down the hallway.

"Stop him! He cannot leave!" Gibbs shouted, panicking at the thought of Jack getting lost outside in this state of mind. Right now, he was a danger to himself and to others. Will nodded his head, and started running towards Jack. In one graceful dive, Will had Jack pinned to the ground. Gibbs forced himself not to wince at the startled grunts and yells Jack was making as he fought against Will. Then, before Gibbs could stop him, the Commodore ran ahead of him, and grabbed a vase. He smashed it on Jack's head, knocking him unconscious.

There was a ringing of silence in the hallway.

"You shouldn't have done that. That was uncalled for." Gibbs shot at the Commodore, moving away pieces of ceramic before kneeling down next to the unconscious Jack.

"He was out of control."

"You should have let me handle it." Gibbs replied. Checking Jack's pulse, and wincing at the now rising bump on Jack's head.

"This man is a criminal. A pirate. He got exactly what he deserved." The Commodore answered, straightening up.

"You have no idea what he's been through. He didn't deserve any of that." Will said hotly, standing up.

"And why are you here, anyway?" Gibbs added, stepping menacingly towards the Commodore.

"The governor asked me to patrol the hallways while he was away. I was doing my duty." The Commdore answered, straightening up.

"I'm sorry, Gibbs. I forgot. I would have told you, I swear." Will said

"The bigger question is, why are you here Mister Gibbs? Last I heard you were off sailing with this scum."

"We are here on Mr. Turner's invitation." Gibbs answered. Will nodded in agreement.

"And if you tell anyone we are here, I will be happy to inform the right people about how you allowed Jack to escape the first time." Gibbs said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Aye." Will agreed, turning to the Commodore and crossing his arms.

"Jack has been injured, he needs a place to rest. This was the only place I could think of." Gibbs said.

The commodore narrowed his eyes, "What kind of injuries?" He asked

"We had a run in with the Barstow Pirates." Gibbs said

The Commodore's eyes widened, even he knew their reputation. He stared at them in disbelief for ten seconds, but then he nodded his head.

"Fine. I guess Mr. Sparrow can stay here. For one night. In shackles, on my watch." He said

"No shackles." Gibbs said

"Then he can't stay. This man is the least trustworthy pirate in all the Caribbean he will not be allowed to roam this house freely. Especially while the Govenor and Ms. Swan are gone."

Gibbs stared at the Commodore in disbelief at his request. The Commodore always had a stubborn streak in him.

"Fine." Gibbs finally said.

"Good. Let's get him up to bed."

Gibbs nodded his head, then bent down to pick Jack up. Will reached down to help him, but Gibbs was able to pick him up with one arm.

"He's light." Will commented.

"Too light." Gibbs answered. He could feel Jack's ribs even through his clothes.

Gibbs thought he saw a glimpse of concern on the Commodore's face, before it was carefully concealed.

Will led the way to a room on the second floor. It was an elegant room, with white striped wallpaper, and a large bed. Several house palms framed the window, and there was a painting of geraniums framed above the bed. Gibbs gently deposited the still unconscious Jack on the bed. He heard a clink, and turned around to see the Commodore—true to his word—removing shackles from his belt.

"Wait, grab his sleeve. I want to see something first." Gibbs said to Will as he carefully unlaced the sleeve of Jack's left arm. It was time for him to see what Jack had been hiding from him, It was time to see why Jack refused to let anyone touch him. Will nodded his head, and started unlacing the right one. Carefully, the pulled Jack's shirt off over his head. Gibbs heard will take a sharp breath.

Jack's skinny frame was painted with bruises and half healed burn marks. The most troubling marks though, were the hand shaped dark bruises on his hips, so dark they almost looked like a tattoo. If they turned him over, Gibbs guessed there would be matching bruises on his back. Gibbs gently put his hand on one, and Jack whimpered in his sleep. Gibbs quickly removed his hand.

"I thought you said he was a hostage?" Will asked in a brittle whisper.

"Aye. He was." Gibbs answered.

"There's one act that could cause bruises like that." A soft voice said, they both turned to see the Commodore staring at Jack, something like pity in his eyes.

" Was he ra-." Will started, but he was cut off by the Commodore.

"Don't say it." He whispered harshly, and then turned around, fumbling with the shackles.

Gibbs remained quiet, well aware of the Commodore's sudden brittleness. Then he looked back at Jack. There wasn't much they could do about the bruises, except wait for them to heal on their own.

"We need a doctor, for those burns." He said

Will nodded, "I'll call for one first thing tomorrow."

Gibbs nodded, the sun was already setting. Most businesses would be closed by now.

"Help me with his shirt." Gibbs said, and together he and Will gently pulled Jack's shirt back over his head. Then Gibbs pulled off his boots.

The Commodore hesitated—but only for half a moment—before coming forward with the shackles. He quickly chained Jack's wrists and ankles to the bed frame, and then tucked the key in his pocket.

"It's for his own good, as well as ours. Don't want him running again in a panic." He said in a soft voice, Gibbs looked up at him. Something in the Commodore's demeanor had changed.

He straightened his shoulders, "The Barstow Pirates, you said?"

Gibbs nodded.

"Bastards."

"Aye."

"Well, there's nothing more we can do, until he wakes up." The Commodore said, in the same, soft voice.

"Aye." Gibbs answered again.

Will sat down near the windowsill, eyes flitting from Jack, to the Commodore and then to Gibbs.

Then, the Commodore left the room swiftly, closing the door behind him.

Gibbs grabbed a chair.

And they waited.

888

More up soon! Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

888

Jack was out for the night. Will had turned in about an hour ago, but Gibbs was too frazzled to sleep, so he took to walking the hallways. Up and down, and up and down. He was worried about Jack, of course, but also concerned about the Commodore. He was an unexpected addition to this little side trip, and Gibbs was unsure of his position. Would he turn Jack in the minute he awoke? Or would he help them? There was something about the way he looked, after they found the bruises on Jack that made Gibbs lean towards the latter. Was it pity? Or sympathy?

He turned the corner, and stepped out into a large balcony. He was surprised to see that someone was already standing there. It took him a moment in the dull moonlight to realize that it was Commodore Norrington. Gibbs figured now was a good time as ever to talk some sense into the man, maybe convince him to not turn Jack in to the authorities.

"Nice night for a drink eh?" Gibbs said, stepping up beside the Commodore.

He jumped slightly—reminding Gibbs of Jack for a moment—and then turned to him.

"Evening, Mister Gibbs." He said stiffly.

"Evening." Gibbs answered, he pulled out his flask and took a long sip.

They were silent for a few minutes, each stuck in their own thoughts. Gibbs cast a glance at the Commodore, and was surprised to see that he looked grave, and maybe a little sad.

"I thought I would never see the likes of Jack Sparrow again." The Commodore said quietly.

"Jack does have a habit to show up unexpectedly." Gibbs answered.

"You must have your fair share of misadventures, being his right hand man."

"Aye. On a better night, asking me about what happened in Singapore."

The Commodore let out a small chuckle. "I can only imagine."

He then straightened up again, "What were you doing, dealing with the Barstow Pirates? Surely you of all people know their reputation."

Gibbs sighed, "I had advised against going into their territory. But you know Jack, he's single minded to the point of recklessness. He went ahead anyway."

"Single minded to the point of recklessness. I like that." The Commodore said, giving Gibbs a small smile.

'What did Jack want with the Barstow Pirates?" He asked

"He went to bargain for a map to a fabled wishing well." Gibbs answered.

"Did he get it?"

"Yes...but he paid a mighty high price."

The Commodore nodded, but didn't say anything else. He stared out over the balcony, the moonlight highlighting his fair features.

"I once knew a boy..." The Commodore suddenly started, making Gibbs jump.

"Aye." Gibbs said, letting him know that he was listening.

"And this boy...he had a family for a little while, but then his father died. It broke the boy's mother's heart, you see and she wanted the boy to have a father again so she remarried." He broke off again, and Gibbs offered him his flask. The Commodore shook his head.

"The man she married though, he was not a kind man, at least to the boy he wasn't. His mother adored this man. But he wasn't as he seemed, he would...he would hurt the boy. In secret, and the boy he knew his mother was finally happy, so he kept quiet." He paused again, and put his hand in his right hip. Suddenly Gibbs had a suspicion that the Commodore was not talking about a boy he knew, he was talking about himself.

"In awful ways, ways that never should have..." He trailed off again, shaking his head. He was silent again, staring out into the night sky.

"What happened to him?" Gibbs asked

"He ran away. Joined the Navy. But sometimes, he wishes...I mean I think he wishes that he would have stayed and told somebody about what was being done. Maybe then his stepfather would have gotten the justice he deserved."

Silence once again descended on the pair again.

"What happened to Jack, never should...nobody deserves that." The Commodore whispered.

"Aye." Gibbs said, agreeing.

"No matter how much they are wanted by the East India Trading Company for piracy. I will...I will do what I can to make sure you and the crew can stay here, for a long as you-Jack-needs." He said, looking over at Gibbs.

Gibbs nodded his head, somewhat surprised. "Thank you."

"The boy had to heal by himself, with no one to talk to about what had happened. No one to explain why."

"That must have been hard. Jack has us now though, he is not alone." Gibbs said quietly.

The Commodore nodded silently.

"This wishing well, it can grant a wish to anybody?" He asked

"Yes. So the legend says." Gibbs answered.

The Commodore turned to him, "What else does it say?"

"The well is located deep in the jungle of the Amazon, In the center of a maze. In order to make a wish, one has to engrave said wish on a copper coin, and throw it into the well. But there is a catch, in order to have the wish granted one must pay tribute to the well."

"What kind of tribute?"

"You must leave behind an item of value. Significant value, to you. Something that is priceless, that cannot be replaced by gold."

"Sounds like a fair trade. And one can make any wish he desires?"

"Aye."

Then silence descended again.

They stood there together, looking over past the horizon in the deep night sky. After a few minutes, Gibbs heard a distinct sniff, and turned his head a quarter inch, just enough to see that the Commodore was battling for composure.

"Commodore?" Gibbs asked softly

The Commodore flinched slightly, and he brought a hand up to his face.

"You should get some sleep, Mr. Gibbs. It's very late."

Knowing a dismissal, Gibbs nodded his head.

"Aye. Have a good night, Commodore." He said.

Then he slowly walked away from the balcony, and back inside the house.

888

Sorry this one is so short. More to come soon! Please review, and let me know what you think!


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, Gibbs took a tray himself containing tea and some oatmeal into Jack's room. Half of him hoped that Jack would still be asleep so Gibbs could remove the shackles before he woke up. Gibbs had thought long and hard and how to handle what happened to Jack, and the best thing he could think of was to let Jack take the lead. If he wanted to address it, Gibbs would be there to listen, but he was also fine if Jack wanted to pretend—only for a little bit—that nothing happened. Above all though, he wanted Jack to know that he could trust him, Will and even the Commodore. To Gibbs, waking up in shackles was not a good start. The key was snug in his pocket (he had easily lifted it from the Commodore's coat while he slept).

Gibbs opened the door, and stepped into the sun lit room. He quietly walked over to where Jack lay in the bed, and set the tray down on the bedside table. The minute Gibbs set it down, Jack's eyes flashed opened.

"Good morning, Jack." Gibbs said softly.

Jack, in response raised his right wrist, the shackles clinking loudly.

"We ran into the Commodore. Do you remember, last night?" Gibbs said, taking a seat next to Jack.

Jack shook his head, and then winced.

"He hit you pretty hard, with a vase." Gibbs.

Jack raised his left arm, and pulled at the shackle.

"I have the key, I can get those off you in a jiffy." Gibbs said

Jack nodded his head, and then winced again.

Gibbs quickly unlocked the shackles. As soon as he was free, Jack sat up and hugged his legs to his chest. He touched his bare feet, and then his hands went to his hips, feeling the untucked shirt. He looked a Gibbs, a sudden sense of panic in his eyes. _You looked? You know? Why did you look?_

"Aye. We had to Jack. We-I-had to know what happened to you." Gibbs said

Jack pulled his legs in tighter to his chest. He closed his eyes, and shuddered.

"None of us think any different of you, Jack." Gibbs said

Jack's eyes flashed opened, _We? Who knows? Do they all know?_

"Just Will and I. And the Commodore." Gibbs answered

Jack's eyes widened, _The Commodore? Commodore James Norrington? He's here?_

"He is here, but is going to help us."

Jack raised an eyebrow, and his eyes landed on the shackles hanging from the bed.

"The Commodore changed his mind about those last night. He's going to help us."

Jack gave him an incredulous look.

"He will. I think there's more to the Commodore than meets the eye." Gibbs answered with a smile, and then he motioned to the tray.

"Are you hungry?" He asked

Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"You should try to eat something, Jack."

Jack shrugged again.

"Here, drink this then." Gibs said, and he handed him a cup of tea. Jack took the cup and took the first sip tentatively, when he realized he could swallow it without much trouble, he took a second sip. In a matter of seconds the cup was drained.

"You must be thirsty." Gibbs commented.

Jack shrugged again, but then held the cup out for more tea.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Jack started and dropped the cup. Gibbs caught it before it hit the ground.

"Ill go see who it is." Gibbs told Jack, and then he stood up, walked the few paces over to the door and opened it, revealing a fully dressed, ready to tackle the day Will.

"Good Morning, Mr. Turner." Gibbs said, opening the door wider so Jack could see who it was.

"Good morning, may I come in?" Will said, Gibbs turned to Jack who nodded and flashed Will a smile.

"You seem to be his favorite, at the moment." Gibbs whispered quietly

"Yes. Except when he is slashing at me with his sword." Will whispered back.

"He was scared. People do things they don't mean when they are scared." Gibbs answered.

Will nodded his head. Of all people, Will would understand what it was like to be scared.

Jack waved to Will, then pointed to an empty chair. Will smiled.

"Good morning Jack, how are you feeling?" He asked

Jack waved it off, _I'm fine, just fine. Let's talk more about finding the well._

Will walked over and sat down in the chair. Jack then went off on a long, complicated set of facial expressions and hand emotions so fast that Gibbs had no idea what he was trying to say. Will nodded his head, like he understood every gesture. Gibbs walked over and pulled up a chair next Will.

Jack raised his hand up in a jerky movement, and then winced holding his side. His whole body froze, and he lowered his hand.

"Ribs still bothering you?" Gibbs asked

Jack nodded his head, closing his eyes.

"I can call for a doctor." Will said

Jack's eyes flashed opened, and he shook his head back and forth. _No, no, no, no. No Doctor. I'm fine. I'll be fine._

"I agree with Will, you need to be seen by someone." Gibbs said.

Jack shook his head again.

Will looked like he was about to argue more, but Gibbs put his hand on his shoulder, stopping him from speaking.

"Alright Jack. No doctor."

Jack nodded, and smiled. His eyes lited on the breakfast that Gibbs had brought in. He reached for the bowl, and Will handed it to him, along with a spoon.

Jack looked up at them, _Are you two just going to sit there and watch me eat? That's not creepy. Not at all._

Gibbs nodded, and stood up "Will come over here to the table, I want to show you some details on Jack's map."

"Alright."

They stood up, leaving Jack in the bed to eat. Will carried the map in his hands. He spread it out on the table.

"Do you really think you will be able to find it?" Will asked, eyes scanning over the complicated markings on the map.

"'Tis simple enough. Just a jungle maze full of beasties. Nothing we cannot handle." Gibbs answered with a smile.

Will nodded his head, but then frowned.

"We have to get him to a doctor." He said

"Aye. I know. In this state though, I don't know if he'll allow one to get close enough to examine him." Gibbs answered.

Will thought for a moment, and then his face lite up.

"What about a healer? I know a woman who runs an apothecary store in town. We could explain to her what happened?" He asked

"A woman may be good, since he is so leery of men right now." Gibbs agreed.

"We can go to her now." Will said

"Someone needs to stay with Jack." Gibbs answered.

Will thought for a moment.

"I'll go." He said

Gibbs nodded. "Okay."

Will straightened up, "Well, Mr. Gibbs. This map seems in order." He started in a loud voice.

"I will make a run for supplies." He said, turning to Jack, who nodded in approval.

Will gave a little half bow, and then out the door.

Gibbs watched him go, and once again for the millionth time wondered if they were going to be okay.

888

Sorry this one is short. More will be up soon!


	10. Chapter 10

888

Once the bowl of oatmeal was done, Jack couldn't seem to stay still. He first walked up to the windows, then sat in a chair, then went over to the study to look at the map. He was restless, staring at things only he could see. Gibbs prayed that this healer would be able to help, and that Jack wouldn't slice her through with his sword.

Gibbs tried several times to talk to him about what the Barstow pirates did, but Jack did not at all seem interested in talking about what happened to him.

They were both startled by a knock at the door. Gibbs answered it, while Jack sank down into the bed, eyes wide.

"It's okay, Jack. No one here is going to hurt you." Gibbs said, and then he opened the door to reveal the Commodore.

"Is it alright if I come in?" He asked

Gibbs opened the door wider, so Jack could see who it was.

"We're all friends here." Gibbs said, and then he turned to Jack, who was still sitting on the bed, stiff with fear.

"Jack, it's okay. The Commodore is here to help." Gibbs said.

The Commodore didn't move from his spot in the door, until he saw that Jack was more relaxed.

"I apologize for the scare I gave you last night, I was acting on shear instinct." He said, taking a step forward.

Gibbs suddenly realized that in all the commotion that had happened, he had forgotten to tell the Commodore about Jack not being able to speak.

"He can't speak." Gibbs whispered under his breath.

The Commodore turned, "What?"

"They cut his tongue." Gibbs said, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Jack wince.

The Commodore nodded, "That explains a lot."

Jack remained where he was on the bed.

"That might make things easier, actually. I have a question for the both of you. May I sit?" The Commodore asked, gesturing to the chair next to Jack's bed.

Gibbs looked at Jack, who was still sitting frozen, eyes fixed on something above their heads.

"Jack?" Gibbs asked gently

Jack started, but then looked at him.

"Is it alright if the Commodore sits, he wants to speak with us for a minute." Gibbs asked.

Jack nodded his head.

The Commodore sat down, but Gibbs remained standing.

"I heard that you were searching for the Fontana di Desderando. That's why you went to bargain with the Barstow Pirates—a foolish move-I think. But, you did manage to get a map from them?"

Jack hesitated, but then he nodded his head again.

"If I were to accompany you to this wishing well, I could contribute supplies—food, medicine, water, a ship even, if you think the Black Pearl would rather remain in harbor here. I have enough to finance almost the entire voyage, if you were to let me come with you."

Jack's eyes flickered to Gibbs, _you told him about the wishing well?_

"He wants to help, Jack. I think you should let him." Gibbs answered.

Jack looked back and forth between them. He seemed to be weighing the options. After about a minute, he sat up straighter and nodded his head. _I don't trust him at all, but if he is willing to finance our voyage than he might as well come._

"Jack says yes." Gibbs said for him, and he smiled at the Commodore.

The Commodore smiled, "Excellent."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Both Jack and the Commodore started.

"I think that's Will, returning from his supply run." Gibbs said, and then he walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Will and a petite woman with frizzy brown hair and startling green eyes. She wore a sensible dark blue dress, with a large mauve apron that had lots of pockets covering it and she was carrying a very large suitcase.

"Mr. Gibbs, look who I ran into. This is my friend, Veronique. She runs the apothecary in town." Will said, emphasizing the words apothecary. Gibbs nodded, knowing this must be the healer.

Will leaned in close to Gibbs, "I told her about Jack, and she wants to help. She has a plan." He whispered.

"What's this plan?" Gibbs asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I have my suitcase here, it's full of herbs. Healing herbs. The back space of my store is currently being used to house a variety of poisonous reptiles' courtesy of my _darling_ nephew. Will has offered his table to me for the afternoon until they are cleared out." She explained.

"Aye, a healer in disguise. Good plan." Gibbs said, catching on.

Veronique caught his eye and smiled. "If I can get Jack to come to me, then I think it would be easier to treat him." She whispered.

"And how are you going to do that?" Gibbs asked

"Catch his interest, and then improvise." She answered.

Gibbs looked over to Will, "Are you sure?"

Will nodded, "I think it will work. If I know Jack, it will work."

"Alight. Come on in, Will and Veronique. I'm sure Jack and the Commodore won't mind." Gibbs said, motioning them inside.

Jack looked up momentarily from his place on the bed, but then resumed gesturing with his hands—apparently he had overcome his shyness around the Commodore and decided to trust him. The Commodore looked over at Gibbs and gave him a blank look and Gibbs motioned for him to keep listening to Jack.

Will led Veronique over to the large table, and moved the maps out of the way. Gibbs followed closely behind him.

Veronique put the suitcase down, "Thank you again for helping me, this looks great. I can start working right away. The store is in desperate need of bath balls and I don't have a space large enough to make them, with the reptiles running about." She explained.

Then Gibbs heard a small meow, he saw a tiny kitten poke its head out of Veronique's pocket.

Veronique followed his gaze, "That's Esther. She's very attached to me. I rescued her from the harbor a few weeks ago."

As Veronique started to set up her case pulling out a number of small bags and tools. She sat down in the chair and began measuring a white substance that looked like salt into a wooden bowl. Gibbs cast a look at Jack. He had paid little attention to Veronique after she had established that she wasn't a doctor to come prod and poke him. He had turned back to the Commodore and was now making wavy motions with his hands.

The kitten then bounded out of Veronique's pocket and waddled across the room, stopping to sniff random places. She meandered over to the bed, and then with incredible agility for a kitten her size leapt and shuffled up the bedspread with her claws come face to foot with Jack.

Gibbs tensed, wondering what Jack would do but then smiled as Jack reached out a tentative hand to pet her. She nuzzled up against him, purring loudly. After a few moments, Jack picked her up in his hands and then stood up. He walked over to the table to where Veronique was sitting and deposited the kitten on the table.

Veronique smiled at him, "You can play with her, if you'd like."

Jack petted the kitten again, and then looked curiously at what Veronique was doing at the table.

"I'm making bath balls." She explained

Jack gave her a curious look, _what are those?_

" A combination of salts and molly herb, to put in a bath. It does wonders for bruises, aches and pains." She explained

He pointed to the molly herb and then pointed at Gibbs, _I know that one! That one helped, Gibbs gave it to me._

Veronique smiled, "It's a handy herb to have, especially at sea when a doctor is miles away."

Jack then looked over the rest of the case, which Veronique had opened up to reveal a variety of herbs, and salts in little trays. _What else do you have?_

Veronique smiled and sent Gibbs a wink. Gibbs nodded approvingly, leave it to Will to come up with a plan that would appeal to Jack's sense of curiosity, and his striving demand to remain independent. Having Veronique examine him would have never worked—he would have fought her tooth and nail-, but if Jack thought that it was his idea to go her and ask her for help, then maybe it would work. It was a brilliant idea, and it seemed to be working so far.

"Well, this is Aloe leaf. It helps with burns, and scraps. And this one is Arnica, that one helps with bruises. This one here, Calendula can help with internal healing. That one over there is Lavender, and that helps promote sleep. This one can cure acne, and this one is supposed to help cure baldness but, the results have varied." Veronique explained, pointing to each one.

Jack seemed fascinated. He pulled over the empty chair and sat down next to her. he then paused, and looked up to see Gibbs, Will and the Commodore all staring at the two of them.

"Right. Um, Will. Let's go over that list of supplies ummm over here." Gibbs said, pointing to the smaller table by the window. Will and the Commodore followed him over to the window and they sat down, appearing to look over a piece of paper but actually listening to Veronique.

"I use that to make the ball shape, see how the finished ones are nice and round? Do you want to try making one?" Veronique asked

Gibbs watched Jack nod his head, then hold up his hand. He pulled up his sleeves and showed her something on his arm.

"Arnica can help with that, I can make it into a paste for you." She said

Jack nodded his head, and then pulled up his shirt showing her the dark bruises on his chest and hips.

"You can use the same paste, but soaking in a bath with a few of the molly herb balls would help too." Veronique replied.

"I can show you how to make the paste, first you take Arnica and then you add a bit of olive oil..."

Over the next hour, they swapped between actually going over the supply list, and listening to Veronique and Jack, until finally they heard Veronique packing up her suitcase.

"Thank you for helping me, Jack. I really appreciate it." Veronique said, as Jack picked up the kitten.

"She likes you. If it's alright, I can come back tomorrow and you can play with her." Veronique said as she put the now very sleepy kitten back in her pocket.

Jack nodded his head. He looked over to Gibbs and then pointed to a small pile of bath balls. _Look what I made, Gibbs._

"Wow, Jack. That's great." Gibbs said, walking over to them and smiling. Will's plan had worked, Jack received the care he needed and they didn't have to bury any bodies.

Veronique walked over to Gibbs and Will, holding her suitcase in one hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Turner for letting me stay here for the afternoon. It was quite productive." She said, holding out her hand.

Will shook it, "No, thank you Veronique for coming."

Veronique smiled, "It was my pleasure. I'm glad I was able to help."

She turned her head quickly, and once she was certain Jack was distracted she lowered her voice, "He had quite a lot of bruising, but the herbs I gave him should help. If you need more, please don't hesitate to stop by."

Gibbs nodded his head, "Thank you."

"Your welcome."

Jack waved as she left. Gibbs smiled at Will.

They finally had a good day.

888

I apologize for the long wait, Real Life got in the way. More should be up soon, thank you all for being patient!


End file.
